Vehicle Lease Transfer Explained
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010In recent years an increasing number of both individuals have decided to lease their vehiclers rather than buy them. People are finding that leasing will provide them with the transport that they need at a monthly cost which is more affordable than a comparable loan to purchase the vehicle that they want.
When signing a lease contract you are required to agree to a specific lease term as this determines the monthly repayments. Typically these are 2, 3 or 4 year terms. But what can you do if, during that period, you need to change your vehicle for some reason? This may be because your circumstances have changed and you can no longer afford the repayments or maybe the vehicle is no longer suitable for your needs.
Under these circumstances a lease swap maybe just what you need. Many businesses that lease cars and vans will have their own lease exchange programs, but there are also a number of specialist businesses that deal with lease swaps.
The term lease swap is actually a bit misleading as you don’t actually swap your lease. Your existing vehicle lease will need to be transfered to someone else. It is worth noting that not all vehicle lease contracts allow for lease transfer.
One way that you may choose to swap your current vehicle lease is to sign up to one of the online services offering this facility. If you are the person who wants to exchange their lease then you would be considered a seller and anyone interested in taking on your lease would be considered a buyer. Buyers benefit through not being required to provide an upfront payment because this has already been paid by the current lease-holder.
Companies that specialise in lease swapping and exchange usually charge a fee for their service. You will also probably encounter a charge from the leasing company for processing the lease transfer. You should also not overlook the need for gap insurance , essential when leasing a vehicle.
I recently used a lease swap web site to get a short term Fiat lease which has save me a lot of cash.